The CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, today celebrated National Startup Day with a vibrant showcase of innovation and entrepreneurship, as Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh engaged with the young innovators and launched new products.
The event highlighted the institute's commitment towards fostering cutting-edge research and startup growth.
Addressing the students, researchers and startup founders, the Union Minister and Vice President CSIR Dr Jitendra described CSIR-IIIM as a living legacy of Independent India and one of the country's oldest CSIR laboratories, established even before Independence.
Dr. Jitendra Singh praised IIIM's transformative impact on drug discovery and its contributions to farmers' prosperity in the region. He highlighted the institute's rich history, tracing its origins to Maharaja Hari Singh's vision and the pioneering work of Sir Ram Nath Chopra, father of Indian pharmacology. He noted that under its current leadership, IIIM continues to strengthen its scientific and innovation-driven identity.
Highlighting the institutes national impact, Singh pointed to the Purple Revolution as a defining example of grassroots entrepreneurship driven by science. What began as lavender cultivation in Doda district has now spread across the Himalayan belt, from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to the northeastern states, he maintained. He said the initiative demonstrated how agriculture, bio-resources and traditional knowledge can give rise to successful startups, challenging the belief that innovation is confined to the IT sector or metropolitan cities.
Reflecting on India's startup journey, Singh said the launch of the Startup India, Stand-Up India initiative in 2014 marked a turning point. From a few hundred ventures, India today has more than 2 lakh startups and ranks third globally in the startup ecosystem, he added. He observed that nearly half of these startups now come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, underlining the democratisation of entrepreneurship, aspiration and education.
Singh also addressed the common myths around startups, stressing that innovation does not require a PhD, a metro location, or even extensive formal education. He said women are increasingly leading startups across sectors. He said that small-town entrepreneurs are proving that talent flourishes when supported with the right guidance, technology access, market linkage and financial backing.
Drawing from field experiences, he highlighted the growing confidence and ambition among the students in rural and small-town schools, calling it a sign of deeper societal change.
The centrepiece of the event was an interactive session where the students and young entrepreneurs pitched ideas ranging from agri-tech solutions for rice cultivation and mental health awareness initiatives to herbal remedies for menstrual health.
Singh encouraged them to focus on research, innovation and value addition, assuring institutional support and mentorship.
The event also saw the formal launch of VELA-VITE HartBeet, a heart-health nutraceutical developed by an incubated startup. Besides, a Memorandum of Understanding between the IIIMTBI BioNest Incubation Centre and M/s Tribe Route Essentials Pvt Ltd was also signed envisaging promotion of collaborative growth.
Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM apprised the chief guest of the Bharat Incubator Award to the Institute’s Incubator, he said that a total of 128 startups have been incubated from IIIM so far and 18 products have been launched in the market by the startup.
He acknowledged the role of district administration, particularly Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh, in connecting the farmers with scientists and startups, a synergy that proved crucial to the success of the Purple Revolution.
Sharing personal journeys, incubatees spoke about how IIIMs incubation support helped them transition from job seekers to job providers.
One founder recounted how access to mentorship, technical validation and institutional backing enabled him to establish a nutraceutical venture despite limited capital and networks.
Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh, the guest of honour, reiterated that entrepreneurship is accessible to all, regardless of educational background. He highlighted Doda’s rich reserves of organic produce, medicinal plants and crops like rajmash as strong foundations for future startups, assuring full administrative support to the young innovators.
The programme concluded with the distribution of prizes for idea pitching, slogan writing and logo design competitions.
